Appliance for gripping and holding flexible material



y 1951 J. D. THOMPSON 2,550,734

APPLIANCE FOR GRIBPING AND HOLDING FLEXIBLE MATERIAL Filed 001;. 16, 1945 9 II E Q. ATTOR/YA-V .58 1. C15? thfii'li on cleaning. Operation.

Patented May 1, 19 51 umrso STATES P:

APBIJANQE;FQBI..GRIPPING AND HOLDING FLEXIBLE MATERIAL.

"JosephDhThompson; NewKensington, Pa.

.Anplicationflctohenlfi, 1945, Serial No. 622585 ,My invention relates broadly to household and kitchen-appliances, and more particularly to a ,multigrip'for holding a variety of materials, such :as;;steel wool for scouring-kitchen=utensi1s,' rags for washing glassware, dishes, eta, cloths for ,vide al -simplep-- for-mv of: single w-i-re device-. -which mambo; supportednat-one end in a handle, and

, hal-ving he: then endisotformed as to grip the aterialatoibe applied;

Anoth robiectsof; myrinvention istozprovidea cnnstmcticn; of: multisrip iormedrfromyaizsineie '=Wi QQ-p nonitself zandinrovided with latchsilmeans which-may h ireadilyilatched 20.1, run:- r pp' ;:.ste.e.1 woo1, :rass; cloths; .cr 1 foriperiorming; a:v rubbin t lltanotheh obj ectzot.myrinventienis-to-1pmnstruction. of: .multigrip; formed; by. ,;a 'fsingl epiqfrwirezbenttuponitselfiandinelnding :annlied:

:cnmpanying; drawingsiin 1 which in latcheduposition; 22:;iswait0p planuview of the:multigripe shownziinviFig; :1; 1 Fig. 3. .:is.-. vi

showing theimultigrip ain released position; *Flig; 4:

"iSL-QJMZBIHCSJI sectionaliview. takena-on line- 5 cf s 2.; Fig.5.. isza vertical; sectional v-iew taken on 311116315T +530f1 Fig; 1;; Fig. 36. illustrates: arr-modified a construction ofzmultigripembodying:m x-invention .biitiillustrated; for left ihand latching; .Fig; '-'7 is hand; latch'iconstruction as: illustratediin .aFigsmG and Unit shown in? releasedzposition and'ifligf9iis vertical-i section-.view taken. on; line ye-+9. of: the

mu1tisrin1-showmim1i'ig; 7. "'"Flheemultigripaof my. invention providesian ex.- .tremely "convenient: appliance for "household use kforrholdingzsuohimaterialswassteel:woolausedi'ior .rswuringikitchen utensils; ragszforswashing glass:- mare; ;dishes,a;cloths; fon greasing :cakje' tins; "daub- Gl'SjJfOli applying; 'spolish ,xtOftiStOYfiSi: o. shces,.;and

.ithfiilikfi: Theqmultigripscomprisesratsin ieiloop 4. Claims. (Cl; 15-209) fiitherori htehand .or ileftehandalatching..means 'fon supporting.:=and-securing: the...material' to -be Eignre:.1;.isxa;side .elevationaliview. o'fithe multicg-r pofimysinvention; showing a quantityof steel wool tsnpportediandzsecured inposition in the en'cl of:theimnltigriptwith right hand latching means 2v ,of' resilient wire, preferably of. stainless steel, which is attached at one, end to. a, handle, and with the other, endformed so as to grip material .that is..t0 be usedl The wire is so looped upon itself that the end thereof terminates in latching means vengageable with the wire of. themultigrip for effecting the latching of thedeviee, either as a right-hand orv left-hand appliance.

Referring to the drawings in detail, reference character l indicatesa resilient wire preferably of the order of A3 diameter formed from rustproof material.- Theendsiof wire l is inserted inthe end of the handle Eandis secured therein by the pressed flats, shown at la. The otherv end of the wire I is ofisetor, looped as at 4, and con tinues in a. plane substantially parallel to the plane of the wire I butspacedtherefromto form .a gripping-loop Theoifset portion 4 is again bent upon itself, as represented at \5 and continues in-a direction substantially parallel to; .th e .Idirectionof wire I and immediately adjacent the wire I, as represented at 6. The portion of the wire fivis bent at-anacute angle asrepresented at linclined-toward. the handlet, and isagain bent, as represented at 8, in a plane substantially .at right angles to the. axis of wire I, or the portion ii thereof but in a downwardly inclineddirection. The extremity of the wire at Renters a circular knob orround button 9 in an eccentric position therein. Thedistance represented at I 0 between Wire Band theinner-iace ofthe circular or round button 9 constitutes, an inclined notch or latch ,icapable, of receiving and; latching. the wire; I: as

represented in Figs. 1. and2.

When latched as'illustratedinFigs. 1 and-.2, -,the.o1iset portiontoithe-wirezserves as-a securing. loop; of contracted. size enclosing the. area .represented at I Moreripping the steel-wooLrag, ;,clQth, vor 'dauber -represented at 1 l2. When, .however,'theik-no b orbutton 9. is depressedby the thumb;-app1ying,;-pressure against the knob -or button; 9, thegresilientxWirerlike portion '6 is released and springsnutwardly. in the position illustrated inEis-J thereby-wexpandin 'the area of theloop: andereleasingithe material :2 :enclosed within the area. I I- ofithe-loop; ,This -rreleaseais efiectedgby reasonioizthespreading action between thewire; firandwire l whichispossibleas-soonas the angularly: disposed zeccen-tric j knob crbutton 9. is ;depressed:by" the-thumb; for: a sufficient dis.- tanceifor theknob: tot-clean engagementwiththe wire I. The operation. describeduin: connection with Eigs. ;l-,-.5c;is .efiected :by thethumb-of the right hand. It isrentirelypossible; to: construct the;ap:- ti-nlianceeiofi mysinventionxfor; leftehand: operation;

according to the arrangement in Figs. 6-9. In this form of my invention the wire I, secured in handle 3 has the end thereof bent upon itself as represented at I4, and the loop thus formed, as is represented at I5, directed toward the wire I as represented at I6 from which position the wire extends as represented at I1 to a latch member shown at I8. The latch member I8 is integrally formed with the length of wire I! and extends normal to the plane of wire IT. The loop I8 has the end thereof rolled upon itself as represented at I9 to serve as an engaging means for the wire I.

The rolled end of the wire I at I9 is so spaced from the axis of the wire I? that the wire Il may be shifted transversely in a small degree to grip material within the area I of the loop, or conversely to release the material therefrom. There is a space between the underside of the portion I8 of wire member I? and the rolled end I9 of the wire to provide a pocket-like recess within which the wire I can be engaged. Thus, lefthand engagement and disengagement of the material carried within the area I5 of the looped end of the device may be effected by slight displacement of the rolled end IS in a transverse direction to clear the rolled end I9 with respect to the portion I of the wire-like member, whereupon, wire member IT is released and springs to the position illustrated in Fig. 8 for releasing the steel wool, rag, cloth, or dauber normally gripped within the area of the loop at i5.

Operation of the multigrip of Figs. 69 by the thumb of the left hand which grips handle 3 can be effected with the same alacrity as in the case of right-hand operation of the form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 15.

I have found the device of my invention highly practical in manufacture and production at low cost on a mass scale. ful as a household appliance, and while I have described my invention in certain of its preferred embodiments, I realize that modifications may be made and I intend no limitations upon my invention other than may be imposed by the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is as follows:

1. In an appliance of the class described, a single length of resilient wire bent upon itself to provide an elongated substantially rectangular loop frame with a pair of diverging portions integral with the opposite rear end portions of the loop frame, one of the diverging portions terminating in a handle and the other of said diverging portions terminating in an angularly directed end portion, said angularly directed end portion projecting in a direction transversely of said first mentioned diverging portion and a cylindrical knob carried by said angularly directed transversely extending end portion in a position spaced from the second mentioned diverging portion, said transversely extending portion being biased both in a transverse direction to the loop frame, away from said first mentioned diverging portion, and lateral to the plane of the loop frame to provide a latching means for interlocking the diverging portions by pressure applied against said The device is highly useloop frame comprising a pair of substantially parallel extending spaced wire portions wherein the rear terminus of one of the substantially parallel extending wire portions extends to a point adjacent the other wire portion for enclosing the material within the loop frame, arms connected to the adjacent rear termini of the wire portions of the loop frame, a handle member secured to the end of one of said arms, the other of said arms having its extremity extending in a direction substantially normal to the axis of the first mentioned arm and a substantially cylindrical knob carried by the said normally extending end of said second mentioned arm, said substantially cylindrical knob having a substantially flat abutment face for effecting latching engagement with said first mentioned arm, said second cylindrical knob, said latching means being dismentioned arm being biased both in a transverse direction to the loop frame, away from the first mentioned arm, and in a direction lateral to the plane of the loop frame for providing a latch means which can be disengaged by merely pressing upon the substantially cylindrical knob sufiiciently to displace said knob to clear said first mentioned arm.

3. In an appliance of the class described, a resilient Wire member bent upon itself to form a material retaining substantially polygonalshaped loop frame including a pair of substantially parallel extending coplanar wire portions, the end of one of the wire portions at a point spaced from the forward end of the loop frame being brought into abutting relationship with the rearward extension of the other wire portion and extending rearwardly therefrom in diverging relationship to the said other wire portion, a handlemember secured to the rear end of the said first mentioned wire portion, the said other wire portion having its rearward extremity extending in a direction substantially normal to the axis of said first mentioned wire portion and a knob mounted on the extremity of said other wire portion in a position displaced away from the axis of said first mentioned wire portion and spaced from. the axis of the rearward extension of said other wire'portion, said other wire portion being biased both in a transverse direction to the loop frame away from said first mentioned wire portion and in a direction lateral to the lane of the loop to provide latching engagement with the first mentioned wire portion for maintaining said loop frame closed upon itself and operative to be disengaged by the application of'pressure upon said knob sufficiently to displace said knob to clear said first mentioned wire portion.

4. In an appliance of the class described, a, resilient wire member bent upon itself to form a material retaining elongated substantially rectangular-shaped loop frame including a pair of substantially parallel extending wire portions integral with thebent portion, a handle member secured to the end of one of said wire portions, the end of the other of said wire portions extending in an angular direction offset from the axis of the rearward extension of the said first mentioned parallel extending wire portion and in a direction toward and downwardly inclined in a plane substantially normal to the axis of said first mentioned wire portion, and a substantially cylindrical knob mounted on the tip of said second mentioned wire portion in a position displaced away from the axis of said first mentioned wire portion, said knob having its'inner face spaced from the parallel portion of said second mentionedwire portion a distance at least equal to M 2,550,734 a 5 6 the diameter of said first mentioned wire portion, REFERENCES CITED said second mentioned wire portion being biased The following references are of record in the both in a transverse direction to the loop frame me of this patgntz away from the first mentioned wire portion for unlatching and in a direction lateral to the plane 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS of the loop frame for providing a latch means Number Name Date operative to be disengaged by application of pres- 490,374 Teeple Jan. 24, 1893 sure against said cylindrical knob sufficiently to 1,560,687 I-Iauber Nov. 10, 1925 displace said knob to clear said first mentioned 4 1,595,469 Irving Aug. 10, 1926 wire portion whereby the parallel extending por- 10 1,752,896 Deubener Apr. 1, 1930 tions of said 100p frame may be contracted or 1,978,748 Gregory Oct. 30, 1934 spread for gripping or releasing material with respect to said loop frame. FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date JOSEPH D. THOMPSON. 15 25,668 Great Britain 1911 482,871 France May 2, 1917 

